Vietnamese Grilled Pork Sandwich (Banh Mi Thit)

Ingredients:

• 1-1.25 pounds bone-in pork steaks

Marinade:

• 2 tablespoons lemongrass paste
• 1/3 cup minced onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 tablespoons water

Fresh vegetable pickle brine:

• 1 cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2-2 cups prepared vegetable (red onion, shallot, carrot or daikon radish)

Sandwich ingredients:

• 2-4 French hoagies rolls, split and toasted
• thinly sliced English cucumber
• fresh sliced jalapeno peppers or thin slices of Thai chiles (optional)
• fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise mixed with 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce

Method:

1. Mix marinade for pork and marinate meat, refrigerated, for 6 hours or overnight.
2. Prepare vegetables for fresh pickle: thinly sliced red onion or shallot, julienned carrot or julienned daikon radish, tossed with 1 teaspoon salt. Let vegetables drain in a colander for thirty minutes, then rinse and drain.
3. Mix together brine and bring to a boil; pour over vegetables in a heatproof container, keeping onion/shallot separate from the other pickles as they stain the water.
4. Refrigerate for 6 or more hours, longer for best flavor.
5. Grill meat over hot coals until cooked through. Remove bone and trim meat of fat and chop into bite sized pieces.
6. Place meat on sandwiches with  toppings and various pickles, according to your preferences.

from the kitchen of palatablepastime.com